Apparatus and method for improving swings of sports players

ABSTRACT

A sports swing aid is disclosed, and includes a shaft, head, and grip. The head may be substantially flat, weighted, and curved, as well as angled relative to the shaft at a first end of the shaft. A grip is provided at a second end of the shaft. The swing aid, and in particular the head, is configured to be swung at a plurality of orientations to work different muscle groups of a user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 62/706,844, filed Sep. 14, 2020, the contents of whichare herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to training devices/aids and, moreparticularly, to a tool for increasing power and speed of a golf and/orsoftball/baseball swing.

A swing, in the context of sports, is an action by which a playerattempts to hit a ball. Generating power for a golf, softball, baseball,or other swing can prove challenging. Weight-training improves strengthbut generally only targets a single muscle group at a time and does notspecifically train a player to improve their golf swing.

Available products do not feel like or swing like a golf club, and thereis nothing that currently exists to train a softball player that worksall the muscles this does in the forearms and hand. The MEDICUS™ is likea golf club but is barely heavier than an iron, and it isn't designed tobe swung very fast, meaning it doesn't result in a faster swing. Rather,this product is designed to teach proper swing form, not strengthen aplayer's muscles that are used during the swinging process. Anotherexample is the SUPERSPEED™ stick, which is straight, so it cannot beadjusted to change the angle of swing in softball (i.e., rotating thestick and swinging it does not result in different muscles being workedsince it has a symmetrical design about its longitudinal axis).

As can be seen, there is a need for a tool that is superior forincreasing power and speed in a player's swing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a sports swing aid comprises: ashaft; a substantially flat, weighted, and curved head extending from afirst end of the shaft at an angle; and a grip being provided at asecond end of the shaft, the grip, curved head, and shaft beingconfigured to be swung.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of improving aswing of a user includes the steps of: (1) providing a sports swing aidcomprising: a shaft; a substantially flat, weighted, and curved headbeing angled relative to the shaft at a first end of the shaft; and agrip being provided at a second end of the shaft; (2) grasping the gripsuch that an end portion the curved head is oriented at least partiallyupwards; and (3) swinging the swing aid a plurality of times.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of thepresent disclosure and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments.The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications,alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionthat also includes a detail view of a lower portion thereof;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the presentinvention, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention,illustrating a first position the embodiment, in use; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention,illustrating a second position the embodiment, in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject disclosure is described with reference to the drawings,wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elementsthroughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present disclosure such that one skilled in the artwill be enabled to make and use the present invention. It may beevident, however, that the present disclosure may be practiced withoutsome of these specific details.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a sports swingaid comprising: (1) a shaft; (2) a curved head (that is substantiallyflat and weighted) being angled relative to the shaft at a first endthereof; and (3) a grip being provided at a second end of the shaftsection. The grip, curved head, and shaft being configured to be swungto increase the speed and power of a user's sports swing.

One objective of the present invention is to increase the power andspeed of a player's swing. In accordance with this objective, swingingan embodiment of the present invention a plurality of times (such as 40to 60 times) and a set period of days (such as every other day) willgreatly increase the power of an individual's swing, giving them thepower to swing through the ball and follow through. The unique designcan advantageously be utilized across sports, such as golf, softball,and baseball, to increase swing speed and power in all of them. Whilethe prior art attempts to solve similar problems as the presentinvention, the present invention is a vast improvement in actualresults, due to its unique configuration. Regarding softball andbaseball, for example, the present invention changes the angle of swingcompared to the SPEEDSTICK™. The present invention is configured to helpa user roll his or her wrist over better as well.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a golf swing aid 10 includes a grip 12, ashaft 14, a head 16, and a rubber coating 18. In certain embodiments,the shaft 14 may be embodied as an iron bar that includes a jig piece,forming a curved and substantially flat head 16, rigidly attachedthereto (such as by welding). In other embodiments, the shaft 14 may becurved and substantially flat at the bottom to form the head 16 (i.e.,formed as an integral piece). In certain embodiments, the head 16 may bearranged at approximately a 135-degree angle relative to the shaft 14.To the right of the head 16 (relative to the orientation shown in FIGS.2 and 3), a bulge is provided at a bottom end of the shaft 14. As aresult of the configuration, the aid 10 is heavier than a typical golfclub. The grip 12 may be embodied as a rubber handle to hold onto theiron. In certain embodiments, the head 16 and grip 12 may be painted orcoated with a rubber coating. The grip 12 may be inserted on the toppart of the shaft 14 and securely connected in any appropriate manner,such as via gluing. Paint also improves the aesthetics of the aid 10. Incertain embodiments, the entire shaft 14 may be provided with a rubbercoating to better protect other objects that may be struck by the aid10, as well as providing distinctive coloring to it.

This aid 10 is specifically configured for training and strengthening.An individual may swing it in a similar manner as a golf club (i.e.,pull the aid 10 behind their head (FIG. 4), swing downwardly (FIG. 5),and follow through) a plurality of times, such as approximately 40-70times, every other day. It will be appreciated that the number of timesand specific days utilized may be varied in accordance with the presentinvention. Applicant's experimentation with the present invention hasyielded gains of 30-50 yards of golf ball travel since employing thepresent invention. For baseball and softball, the aid 10 also helps anindividual roll their wrists over, which contributes to increased power.

To train, an individual may swing this aid 10 with the curved head 16directed upwards (orientation seen in FIG. 5) about twenty times, thenturn it down (i.e., rotate the aid 10 ninety degrees) and swing it samenumber of times. In doing so, this makes the individual swing down onthe ball for more of a homerun swing and puts back spin on the ball tomake it carry further. When the iron angle is oriented up, it makes theindividual swing up a little and consequently works different musclegroups. Next, the curved head 16 may be turned to face forwards(relative to the direction of the swing, i.e., the tip of the head 16points in a forward direction) and swung the same number of times, andthen turned 180 degrees (i.e., the tip of the head 16 points backwards)and swung in a similar manner again.

As described above, this unique workout aid 10 provides swings at fourdifferent angles due to the shaped head 16. This also helps individualsto adjust their swing to connect with the ball if the swing is off tobegin with. For golf, it helps individuals make better contact with theball when hitting irons because it helps them hit down on the ball moreand with significantly more hand and wrist power. The length of the aidmay also be varied to act as a shorter iron or a driver.

A method of making the present invention may include the following.First, a straight iron bar is bent at an end thereof to approximately a20 percent curve. Next, the bar may be painted or coated with rubber 18approximately 0.25 inches thick to provide protection to others andother objects. Next, a grip 12 is put on the top of the iron. Certainembodiments of the present invention may include an additional V-shapepiece of iron welded on the back of the aid 10 towards the bottom, orthe present invention may be included without it.

A method of using the present invention may include of the following. Anindividual may swing the aid 10 in a smooth and steady swing rhythm for10-20 swings for each set (the sets being, for example, the differentangular arrangements of the aid 10 as described in detail above). Threeto four sets may be done per day. After the workout, at least 24 hoursshould be given for recovery. Every other day is preferred to obtainideal results but may be varied. When training for golf, an individualdoesn't need to change the angle of the iron (i.e., it can be swung asshown in FIGS. 4 and 5). For baseball and softball swing training, auser should utilize the four different angles as described above and mayswing at each orientation approximately 30-50 times with four sets. Analternative method of using the aid 10 may include swinging it 8-15sets, with 10-15 swings per set. This will result in approximately 100to 150 total swings, which will strength and speed up golf, softball,and baseball swings.

Potential reconfigurations may include the following. In certainembodiments, the curved head 16 may be lengthened, or the design at thevery bottom may be adjusted. In other embodiments, a small ball may beprovided at the end. In certain embodiments, to achieve a lighter modelaid 10, weight may be reduced by providing the shaft 14 as with a hollowcore, while maintaining the flat head.

While one or more preferred embodiments are disclosed, many otherimplementations will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art and areall within the scope of the invention. Each of the various embodimentsdescribed above may be combined with other described embodiments inorder to provide multiple features. Furthermore, while the foregoingdescribes a number of separate embodiments of the apparatus and methodof the present invention, what has been described herein is merelyillustrative of the application of the principles of the presentinvention. Other arrangements, methods, modifications, and substitutionsby one of ordinary skill in the art are therefore also considered to bewithin the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limitedexcept by the claims that follow.

While apparatuses and methods are described in terms of “comprising,”“containing,” or “including” various components or steps, theapparatuses and methods can also “consist essentially of” or “consistof” the various components and steps. All numbers and ranges disclosedabove may vary by some amount. For example, the action of rotating theaid 10 90 degrees or 180 degrees also includes angles close to 90degrees and 180 degrees, respectively (as it would be difficult torotate exactly 90 degrees or 180 degrees every single time). Also, theterms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwiseexplicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinitearticles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to meanone or more than one of the elements that it introduces. If there is anyconflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and oneor more patent or other documents that may be incorporated herein byreference, the definitions that are consistent with this specificationshould be adopted.

Moreover, the use of directional terms such as above, below, upper,lower, upward, downward, left, right, and the like are used in relationto the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, theupward or upper direction being toward the top of the correspondingfigure and the downward or lower direction being toward the bottom ofthe corresponding figure.

As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series ofitems, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items,modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e.,each item). The phrase “at least one of” allows a meaning that includesat least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of anycombination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. Byway of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at leastone of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; anycombination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sports swing aid comprising: a shaft; asubstantially flat, weighted, and curved head extending from a first endof the shaft at an angle; and a grip being provided at a second end ofthe shaft, the grip, curved head, and shaft being configured to beswung.
 2. The sports swing aid of claim 1, wherein the shaft is formedof iron and comprises a solid core.
 3. The sports swing aid of claim 1,further comprising a rubber coating that covers the curved head and atleast a portion of the shaft.
 4. The sports swing aid of claim 1,wherein the curved head is angled at approximately a 135-degree anglerelative to the shaft.
 5. The sports swing aid of claim 1, wherein theshaft and the curved head are integral with one another.
 6. A method ofimproving a swing of a user, the method comprising the steps of:providing a sports swing aid comprising: a shaft; a substantially flat,weighted, and curved head extending from a first end of the shaft at anangle; and a grip being provided at a second end of the shaft; graspingthe grip such that an end portion the curved head is oriented at leastpartially upwards; and swinging the swing aid a plurality of times. 7.The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of: rotating theshaft approximately 180 degrees; and swinging the swing aid a pluralityof times.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:rotating the shaft approximately 90 degrees; and swinging the swing aida plurality of times.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality oftimes is approximately twenty swings.
 10. The method of claim 6, whereinthe curved head is angled at approximately a 135-degree angle relativeto the shaft.